Hydrogenation pilot plant

The remaining coal hydrogenation pilot plant in the United States is the recently completed Exxon plant in Baytown, Texas. 

Initial operation at the Wilsonville pilot plant was ia SRC-I mode and later evolved iato a two-stage process (129) by operation ia NTSL mode. NTSL limitations described previously combiaed with high hydrogen consumptions resulted ia subsequent focus on a staged iategrated approach, which was to be the basis for all further studies at Wilsonville. 

Hydrogen cyanide tetramer (Z-) 2,3-dianaino-2-butenedinitdle [1187-42-4] (15), an a2acyanocarbon, is produced by Nippon Soda in pilot-plant quantities for development as a chemical intermediate (66,67). On oxidation it forms 2,3-diiminobutanedinitrile [28321-79-7] (16) (68). These two, in turn, combine to give pyra2ine—tetracarbonitnle [33420-37-0] (69). 

Figure 14-12 illustrates the influence of system composition and degree of reaetant eonversion upon the numerical values of for the absorption of CO9 into sodium hydroxide solutions at constant conditions of temperature, pressure, and type of packing. An excellent experimental study of the influence of operating variables upon overall values is that of Field et al. (Pilot-Plant Studie.s of the Hot Carbonate Proce.s.s for Removing Carbon Dioxide and Hydrogen Sulfide, U.S. Bureau of Mines Bulletin 597, 1962). 

In today s competitive climate, investigators cannot spend much time on the clarification of the kinetics for a new process. At Union Carbide Corporation in the 1970s the study to replace the old and not very efficient butyraldehyde hydrogenation was done in three months. In another three months a kinetic model was developed and simultaneously tested in an existing single tube in a pilot-plant (Cropley et al,1984). Seldom is a completely new process studied for which no similar example exists in the industry. 

Feed gases to most, if not all, methanation systems for substitute natural gas (SNG) production are theoretically capable of forming carbon. This potential also exists for feed gases to all first-stage shift converters operating in ammonia plants and in hydrogen production plants. However, it has been demonstrated commercially over a period of many years that carbon formation at inlet temperatures in shift converters is a relatively slow reaction and that, once shifted, the gas loses its potential for carbon formation. Carbon formation has not been a common problem at the inlet to shift converters. It has been no problem at all in our bench-scale work, and it is not expected to be a problem in our pilot plant operations. 

Wm. Haynes The nickel carbide formation has been reversed. That is,nickel carbide has been eliminated by hydrogen treatment in some of the laboratory tests at the Bureau of Mines, and catalyst activity has been restored that way. In the pilot plant, however, we have not been able to achieve any such regeneration of the catalyst. 

A simple cell design is required to reduce capital costs. The cost of the raw materials, HF and electricity, are not negligible, but they are minor. The pilot plant cell design shown in Fig. 16 is derived from the callandria cell developed for the Phillips ECF process.14 The cell body and internals are of mild steel pipe selected to be resistant to hydrogen embrittlement. Figure 17 is a horizontal section through the working part of the cell. 

Figure 8 Sampling system for catalytic hydrogenation step at pilot plant.

Microautoclave data was also obtained with Wilsonville Batch I solvent utilizing Indiana V coal. Batch I solvent was obtained from Wilsonville in mid-1977. Other batches of recycle solvent were received later. Batch I solvent had inspections most like the Allied 24CA Creosote Oil used for start-up at the Wilsonville Pilot Plant. Succeeding batches of solvent received by CCDC showed substantial differences, presumably due to equilibration at various operating conditions. As the Wilsonville solvent aged and became more coal derived, the solvent aromaticity decreased with an increase in such compounds as indan and related homologs. The decrease in aromaticity has also been verified by NMR. A later solvent (Batch III) also showed an increase in phenolic and a decrease in phenanthrene (anthracene) and hydrogenated phenanthrene (anthracene) type compounds. 

In this investigation, a labelled donor solvent was used to determine which structural positions in the coal products incorporate deuterium and to investigate the exchange of protium in the coal with deuterium in the donor solvent. It is important to understand this fundamental chemistry because a number of pilot plants use donor solvents (15-17). The yields of liquefied coal products may be improved through a detailed understanding of the hydrogenation mechanisms. 

Gasior, S.J. et al., Production of synthesis gas and hydrogen by the steam iron process—Pilot-plant study of fluidized and free-falling beds, Bureau of Mines Report of Investigations, Pittsburgh, PA, 5911,49,1961. 

Coalcon A coal gasification process using a fluidized bed operated with hydrogen. Developed by Union Carbide Corporation and the Chemical Construction Company, based on work on liquid-phase hydrogenation completed by Union Carbide in the 1950s. A 20-ton per day pilot plant was operated in the 1960s, but a planned larger demonstration plant was abandoned because of cost. 

Detal [Detergent alkylation] A process for making detergent alkylate, i.e., alkyl aromatic hydrocarbons such as linear alkyl benzenes, as intermediates for the manufacture of detergents, by reacting C10-C13 olefins with benzene in a fixed bed of an acid catalyst. Developed by UOP and CEPSA as a replacement for their Detergent Alkylate process, which uses liquid hydrogen fluoride as the catalyst. Demonstrated in a pilot plant in 1991 and first commercialized in Canada in 1996. Offered by UOP. 

GM and Dow launched a joint project in 2004 for proving the viability of hydrogen fuel cells. In the first phase, a single GM test cell was connected to Dow s power distribution grid and also to Dow s hydrogen clean-up and pipeline system to generate electricity for the Dow chemical plant. Phase II expands the project from a single GM test cell to a multi-cell pilot plant at Dow s Texas Operations in Freeport, Texas. 

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